Chapter Thirty-Nine
Brandee
“W hat did you do?” Erin asks.
We’re lying on Brew’s sundeck under the heat lamps. Taeli and Ansley are in the pool with Avie and Leia while Jena and Tabby are at the outdoor kitchen, making cocktails for everyone.
As I recount last night’s events, I say, “I said it back.”
“How did he react?” Taeli asks, resting her head on her folded arms at the pool’s edge.
“I don’t know. I never opened my eyes. I just kind of whispered it back after he whispered it, and that was it. We both went to sleep.”
“You just dropped the L-word and rolled over and played possum?” Erin accuses.
“Sort of.”
“You mean, we listened to Forensic Files all night for nothing?” Jena scoffs.
“Off topic,” Erin bellows.
“Why did you fake being asleep?” Ansley asks. “Were you afraid he didn’t mean it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. It was late, and he was tired. What if he didn’t mean for me to hear? Maybe he just wanted to say it to see how it felt.”
“Like he was trying it on for size?” Erin asks.
“Exactly.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Erin replies.
I shake my head at her. “Avie, what do you think?” I ask.
“Brew is a pretty decisive man. I don’t see him being wishy-washy when it comes to something as important as telling a woman he loves her.”
“You’re all missing the point,” Tabby says as she hands me one of the cocktails.
“What’s that?” I ask.
She grins and asks, “ Do you love him?”
I consider the question.
“Last night, I was exhausted and caught in that place between sleep and consciousness when he pulled me close and said those three little words. My response was automatic. I didn’t think it through, didn’t weigh the pros and cons, didn’t worry about what anyone would think or any of the what-ifs,” I say. “And now, in the light of day, I am.”
“There’s your answer,” Jena says. “You’re overthinking it now. Last night, you were too tired to fight it.”
“I guess.”
“Do you think the guys are having this same conversation?” Tabby asks.
“No way,” we say in unison.
The men make it back to the house just before five p.m. Tucker and Caleb are proud to present the bounty of fish they caught and cleaned.
“We’re having a fish fry,” Caleb declares. “Brew said if we caught ’em, he’d cook ’em.”
“Is that right?” I say as Brew walks over and bends over my lounger to give me a kiss.
“I called Lennon. He’s on his way,” he whispers.
“Good plan,” I reply.
Taeli, Ansley, and I scout out Brew’s kitchen and make a list of things in order to make fries, slaw, and hush puppies and send Anson and Parker to the market.
Tabby refills my glass from the cocktail shaker. “There’s one more drink left. Taeli, are you sure you don’t want to try it?”
Taeli shakes her head.
“Do you want me to open a bottle of wine?” I ask, but she shakes her head again.
“How about a beer?” Jena suggests, moving in closer.
Once more, Taeli shakes her head.
“Do you have something to tell us?” Jena asks.
I notice that Taeli’s eyes begin to water, and she shakes her head again.
“Oh my God,” Ansley gasps. “Finally?”
At that moment, Taeli loses the fight, and tears start flowing down her cheeks.
“How far along are you?” I ask.
“Eight weeks. We haven’t told anyone yet, and we don’t want Caleb to find out until we’re at least twelve weeks along. If everything goes well, we’ll tell him when he gets home from Chicago on New Year’s Eve.”
We all gather around Taeli and wrap her in a group hug as we bounce up and down, crying tears of joy.
Garrett walks in, carrying a brown paper bag, and when he sees us, he says, “Dry it up, ladies. Tuck and Caleb are right behind me.”
We break apart and turn to him, wiping our eyes.
“Graham spilled the beans to me last week. I bet him you’d break before Christmas,” he says to Taeli as he kisses her cheek. “Congratulations, Momma.”
The boys come barreling in with Parker and Anson following close behind, each carrying a bag of groceries. They quickly place the bags on the counter before rushing back outside to the pool.
Lennon and Amiya arrive shortly after, and we begin peeling and slicing potatoes and shredding cabbage while Lennon goes outside to start battering and frying the fish.
I leave the women when I see Brew walk in and head toward the elevator.
“Where are you sneaking off to?” I ask, wrapping my arms around him.
“Upstairs to grab another shirt. This one smells like fish,” he replies as the elevator doors open.
He steps inside, and I follow him.
He raises an eyebrow as he grasps my hips and pulls me closer.
“Don’t get any ideas,” I warn. “I just want to show you something.”
He gives me a quick kiss as we reach his bedroom. I walk ahead of him, grab his hand, and tug him toward the bathroom door, pushing it open. As soon as he steps in, two balls of fur attack his feet. He grins as he bends down to pet them.
“Erin helped me wrangle them into a cardboard box this morning. She didn’t want to share that queen bed with Jena or listen to Peter Thomas all night.”
He stands and prowls toward me. I walk backward until my knees hit the bed, and I sit down. He plants his hands on the mattress, trapping me. And his mouth comes to mine.
“We have guests,” I say against his lips.
“They’ll be fine without us for a few minutes,” he says as he nips at my bottom lip.
I lean back and then run my nose playfully against his.
“You’re just gonna have to wait until tonight. Promise I won’t fall asleep on you.”
His eyes lock with mine. “How asleep were you last night?” he asks.
“Barely.”
He grins. “I thought so.”
I fist his shirt and pull him back to me for one more deep kiss. Then I let go and push against him. “Ugh, you do smell like fish.”
He laughs as he reaches behind himself and grabs his shirt by the collar and sweeps it over his head.
And I sit and enjoy the show.